Equipment

My journey in this hobby began in 2018.  Since then I have used a variety of mounts and telescopes.  in some cases  the new equipment was the result of reaching the limit of my ability to use the equipment and needing new equipment for the next step. In some cases the need for new equipment arose from a change in direction. I originally wanted to be a visual astronomer, but then progressed (in my unique journey) to astrophotography thus requiring a change of equipment.  In most cases however, I wanted new equipment  just because I wanted the latest and greatest .  One common thread is this has been a tremendous, (and humbling) learning experience.

My current goal is to use portable, small refractor based imaging rigs ideal for supporting my primary interest - photographing targets outside the solar system, but within the Milky Way Galaxy.  I have several rigs each one serving a unique purpose with the largest , a William Optics FLT91 refractor on a ZWO AM5 mount for more detailed close up imaging , to the smallest , a camera lens mounted on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mount used for the widefield images.  I also have several rigs configured for visual observing. 

Astrophotography

Visual

I do very little visual observing due to the light pollution in the skies above me. I have two telescopes for visual: an SCT for planetary viewing and a small refractor for deep sky objects.  Both rigs have red dot finders and finder scopes to help locate targets.  For visual observation I mount the scopes in an alt-azimuth (as opposed to equatorial) mode.  In the futre as my skills improve I plan to conduct more outreach efforts to show people the wonders of the night sky.

Imaging Telescopes/Lenses

During this journey I have used many telescopes for imaging starting with a 10 inch Dobsonian.  I have settled on two scopes, both refractors manufactured by William Optics .  Refractors, in my experience, produce the sharpest stars, best contrasts (for nebulae) , and are the easiest to maintain and use. These two relatively small refractors excel in all these areas and, due to their small size, are highly portable. 

The FLT 91 has a 540mm focal length with f/5.9.  I use a .8 reducer/flattener making the foal length  432mm with a f/4.72 . The RedCat 51 has 250mm focal length for  f/4.9.  Both rigs use ASIAIR Plus controllers with EAF focusers.  I also have another astrophotography rig to use lenses.  I usually have it set up with an ASI533MC Pro with a Rokinon 135mm lens.  I normally image at f/4 with this set up.

Mounts

I have three mounts for imaging: a ZWO AM5, a ZWO AM3, and a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI.  On all three I use ZWO ASIAIR Plus or Mini controllers.  All three mounts have Go To capability to find targets, and allow for the tracking of deep sky objects in synch with the movement of the Earth.   I also use guiding to increase the tracking accuracy to allow for longer exposure pictures.  With most deep sky objects (Galaxies and Nebulae) I normally use a 300 second exposure time.  

All three of these mounts are lightweight, portable, and easy to set up.  I store my rigs in the garage and move them outside when imaging so portability and ease of set up are critical.  I can move all of my imaging rigs with one hand if needed.  

In the past I have used bigger mounts capable of carrying larger payloads.  I initially used a Celestron CGX-L which is very large and heavy.  The load capacity for that mount is 75 pounds of equipment.  The mount along with the CPWI software is excellent, but way too heavy for my needs.  I also used a Celestron AVX which has a payload capacity around 30 pounds.  This too is an excellent mount, but still a bit heavy for me to move around.  

Cameras

I am fortunate to have started this hobby during the digital revolution. Digital cameras helped usher in the golden age of amateur astrophotography.  The days of waiting for your film to be developed only to find some incorrect setting had ruined an evening of work were replaced by almost immediate feedback.  When I began photographing the skies I started by holding my iPhone up to the eyepiece and snapping a photo.  I followed that by purchasing a used Canon T6i .  My next step was to purchase an astro modifed Canon T6i.  This camera had specific filters removed that allowed me to better capture the rich red colors of the nebulae I was imaging.  I followed this with a dedicated astrophotography camera. specifically a CMOS one shot color, cooled camera from ZWO known as the ASI533MC Pro.  The camera sensor is smaller than the APC sized sensor on my T6i, but it captures great images.  It also has the advantage of enabling me to cool it to a set temperature so all my images are captured at a steady temperature.  The cooling reduces the thermal noise due to the heating of the sensor.  Thermal heat can be a real challenge when imaging for several hours on hot summer nights in the southeast.  In addition to the regular and astro-modified Canon T6i, I now have several astro- dedicated ASI533 MC Pros and an astro-dedicated ASI183 MC Pro.  The main difference between the ASI533 and the ASI183 is the pixel size of the 183 is smaller.  The smaller pixel size reduces something called under sampling (square looking stars) with the smaller focal length lenses and scopes.